I'm too tired to come up with a funny disclaimer. Oh boy, that's a bad way
to start off writing a chapter. I don't own Final Fantasy, its characters,
it music, or the letter "E". But I use all of them a lot. Well, I'm
listening to the music as I write. You won't actually get to hear any of it
while you read. Suckers!
Chapter Thirteen
Rise to Empire
The world was a green haze. Shock rippled through Rufus as well as a cold sensantion, followed by tremors of warmth. His good hand gripped the arm of the chair he sat on, and he gasped as fractured and broken bones straightened and righted themselves. Scars, both burns and cuts, sealed, leaving smooth, unbroken skin. Bruises faded and disappeared, the lumps they had caused shrinking and vanishing altogether.
When it all cleared, Rufus was looking into the soft, brown eyes of Elena. There was a small smile on her face. He didn't even wait for Reeve, who stood nearby with a small knife. He lifted his right hand and frantically tore at the bandages that covered half his face. They came away with difficulty. He was still weak from the healing. Reeve held the knife towards him, and Rufus grabbed it eagerly. He cut away the sling and splint that was on his left arm, then the bandages that swathed his chest.
He put the knife down, and slowly began to stand. Elena and Reeve both made as if to help him, but he waved them away. The weakness was there, yes. That feeling of numbed muscles that accompanied every healing. It wasn't a sensation he was used to, only having needed to be healed twice before. Once after a childhood accident where he had fallen while playing in a Mako reactor, and the other after having fought Cloud.
"I'm whole," he said.
Reeve nodded, and Elena smiled.
"When do we get paid?"
Rufus looked across the room to see Reno, lounging idly against a wall. The man was completely unprofessional, and showed no proper respect at all. But despite that, Rufus still needed the fool.
"My funds in Midgar are gone. With the city destroyed, I have nothing to pay you with here, as you know. However, once I am in Junon, I will be able to obtain whatever money I may need. Rest assured, you will be paid. First, however, you must escort me there."
Reno threw his hands up in disgust and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Rufus gritted his teeth. Normally he would not tolerate this kind of disrespect, but both he and Reno knew that he would be forced to endure it for now.
"Elena, have you looked over those files yet?" he asked, turning to face her.
"Yes, sir. They're mostly out-dated projects, of little use. A few were of interest, though."
Rufus nodded. "The Proud Clod project, the Junon Cannon, and the modifications to make the Sister Ray. Unfortunately, with Midgar destroyed, we don't have enough raw Mako energy, nor the Huge Materia necessary to power it. That one will have to be set aside for now. Was there anything else?"
"Yes, sir. Plans for the new experimental reactor that was to be used in the Neo Midgar project, as well as designs for new tank units, and a new model of submarine. There was one thing that immediately caught my attention when I found it, though, even more so than the plans to the Proud Clod."
"Oh?"
"It's an old Gast file. It's the procedure for the Mako Shower to create a Soldier."
A smile crept on Rufus' face. "Now that will be useful. Put that one aside with the Proud Clod and Junon Cannon plans. Also mark out the tank and submarine designs. Those will also prove useful. But for now those main three will suit my present plans perfectly."
"What are your plans, sir?" Reeve asked, troubled.
"First, my Empire will be restored. Shinra will be reborn."
"And then?"
"And then I will rid this world of Obsidian Weapon, the last of its kind."
Elena gasped, a look of horror coming over her. Reeve merely nodded. "I was afraid of that."
"Do you doubt me, Reeve? Will you still follow?"
"I don't doubt you, Mr. President. I will follow you until the end."
"And you Elena?"
The Turk shook off the shock that had overtaken her. "You're my employer. I'll follow you until the end. Besides, someone needs to destroy the new Weapon, and you've proven you can do it in the past."
He could see it in her eyes. The memory of the Diamond Flash enveloping Shinra Tower, nearly completely destroying it. Nearly killing him. She knew he had the power to kill Weapon. But she also knew what it had almost cost him, and what it may cost this time.
"Is everything ready? Is there word from Palmer?"
"Yes, sir, Mr. President." Reeve answered. "Palmer said that everything is prepared in Junon for your arrival. There's just the one anticipated problem we spoke of."
Rufus nodded. He understood. "Excellent. We will proceed to Junon as planned, and from there begin construction on the new projects. Shinra will be strong again. No one will challenge us. Not even Obsidian Weapon."
Chapter Thirteen
Rise to Empire
The world was a green haze. Shock rippled through Rufus as well as a cold sensantion, followed by tremors of warmth. His good hand gripped the arm of the chair he sat on, and he gasped as fractured and broken bones straightened and righted themselves. Scars, both burns and cuts, sealed, leaving smooth, unbroken skin. Bruises faded and disappeared, the lumps they had caused shrinking and vanishing altogether.
When it all cleared, Rufus was looking into the soft, brown eyes of Elena. There was a small smile on her face. He didn't even wait for Reeve, who stood nearby with a small knife. He lifted his right hand and frantically tore at the bandages that covered half his face. They came away with difficulty. He was still weak from the healing. Reeve held the knife towards him, and Rufus grabbed it eagerly. He cut away the sling and splint that was on his left arm, then the bandages that swathed his chest.
He put the knife down, and slowly began to stand. Elena and Reeve both made as if to help him, but he waved them away. The weakness was there, yes. That feeling of numbed muscles that accompanied every healing. It wasn't a sensation he was used to, only having needed to be healed twice before. Once after a childhood accident where he had fallen while playing in a Mako reactor, and the other after having fought Cloud.
"I'm whole," he said.
Reeve nodded, and Elena smiled.
"When do we get paid?"
Rufus looked across the room to see Reno, lounging idly against a wall. The man was completely unprofessional, and showed no proper respect at all. But despite that, Rufus still needed the fool.
"My funds in Midgar are gone. With the city destroyed, I have nothing to pay you with here, as you know. However, once I am in Junon, I will be able to obtain whatever money I may need. Rest assured, you will be paid. First, however, you must escort me there."
Reno threw his hands up in disgust and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Rufus gritted his teeth. Normally he would not tolerate this kind of disrespect, but both he and Reno knew that he would be forced to endure it for now.
"Elena, have you looked over those files yet?" he asked, turning to face her.
"Yes, sir. They're mostly out-dated projects, of little use. A few were of interest, though."
Rufus nodded. "The Proud Clod project, the Junon Cannon, and the modifications to make the Sister Ray. Unfortunately, with Midgar destroyed, we don't have enough raw Mako energy, nor the Huge Materia necessary to power it. That one will have to be set aside for now. Was there anything else?"
"Yes, sir. Plans for the new experimental reactor that was to be used in the Neo Midgar project, as well as designs for new tank units, and a new model of submarine. There was one thing that immediately caught my attention when I found it, though, even more so than the plans to the Proud Clod."
"Oh?"
"It's an old Gast file. It's the procedure for the Mako Shower to create a Soldier."
A smile crept on Rufus' face. "Now that will be useful. Put that one aside with the Proud Clod and Junon Cannon plans. Also mark out the tank and submarine designs. Those will also prove useful. But for now those main three will suit my present plans perfectly."
"What are your plans, sir?" Reeve asked, troubled.
"First, my Empire will be restored. Shinra will be reborn."
"And then?"
"And then I will rid this world of Obsidian Weapon, the last of its kind."
Elena gasped, a look of horror coming over her. Reeve merely nodded. "I was afraid of that."
"Do you doubt me, Reeve? Will you still follow?"
"I don't doubt you, Mr. President. I will follow you until the end."
"And you Elena?"
The Turk shook off the shock that had overtaken her. "You're my employer. I'll follow you until the end. Besides, someone needs to destroy the new Weapon, and you've proven you can do it in the past."
He could see it in her eyes. The memory of the Diamond Flash enveloping Shinra Tower, nearly completely destroying it. Nearly killing him. She knew he had the power to kill Weapon. But she also knew what it had almost cost him, and what it may cost this time.
"Is everything ready? Is there word from Palmer?"
"Yes, sir, Mr. President." Reeve answered. "Palmer said that everything is prepared in Junon for your arrival. There's just the one anticipated problem we spoke of."
Rufus nodded. He understood. "Excellent. We will proceed to Junon as planned, and from there begin construction on the new projects. Shinra will be strong again. No one will challenge us. Not even Obsidian Weapon."